We used the TCGA database to verify the bioinformatics findings of the 47 differentially expressed genes screened, and found that, among the 47 screened genes, the significant up-regulation or down-regulation of EGFR, CHL1, TRIM13, CDH26, WFDC2, MUC4, ALDH3A1, CLIC6, TPPP3, TMC5 and SERPINB3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were compared with normal samples (Fig. 6). This evidence concerns the gene MUC4 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.